Sunday Thoughts

It's time to face facts, I have become a cryer...especially on Sundays! How can church be so uplifting yet so emotionally draining (in a fill you up sort of way) at the same time? I guess it just is.

We had a recently returned missionary from Chile speak to us and his enthusiasm was positively contagious. These are my notes from his talk.

• It is wonderful to go and serve a mission for the Lord.
• You learn charity out on a mission, otherwise you'd turn into a red ball of steam. (From people slamming doors in your face and calling you names.)
• The Lord fortifies you, He puts you in a pair of bigger shoes.
• I learned a lot about pride, I went in confident but learned quickly that I didn't know anything.
• I learned there are many ways to teach something.
• I cried over that relationship quite a bit. (About his 1st companion's lack of obedience.)
• I started to learn to give myself to the Lord, I learned to give more.
• All your preparation ahead of time helps!
• You get lost in the work and find out what really makes you happy.
• Take away all the stuff you think makes you happy, then through the gospel you find real happiness.
• Happiness is not given, it is earned.
• The less I had the more happiness I found.
• I was happy when I had work to do.
• You really learn charity when someone is yelling at you for knocking on their door. You learn to really feel for that person because you are representing Christ and they are ultimately slamming the door on Him.
• New converts have an amazing spirit.
• Open your heart and widen your circle of friends so you can share the gospel.
• Preach the gospel and if necessary use words.

Edited to add: The original quote is "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." from Francis of Assisi

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: I was walking down the hall after Sacrament meeting today and said hi to this man (a former boss of mine) and he said, "Jill, you look happier than all get out, what's going on?" and I said, "I'm alive in Christ John, what can I say?" How funny is that? It just came out. I talked to him for a minute longer and he was kind of laughing at me (just like he used to 18 years ago when I worked for him) but in an affectionate sort of way.

Nard Removal

Our glorious fall weather took a winter-like turn this afternoon when the rain turned to snowy slush for about 15 minutes (long enough to smear the ink on the mailing label of the Fall Swap package I was mailing, sorry Heather) and the temperatures dipped severely.

Landon still opted to wear shorts to his game.

Whitney and I froze our nards off on the sidelines. I had on cozy lounge pants, but it turns out they did absolutely nothing to warm my butt cheeks. Whitney had on 2 hoodies, a blanket and Randy's huge warm coat (which she stole from me) and gloves but was still freezing!


It was nice that the slushing stopped just before the game started; it was still windy and cold but oh so beautiful outside.

There is snow on the mountains! Landon played well in this game--he scored an extra point, had a couple catches and a great kick off.

Look at that crazy sky!

Is that a homeless person??

No, that's just Whitney gathering all her gear after the game. She packs food and activities as if she's going to be gone for a week!


We were so frozen after the game that we turned the heat on in the car for the first time of the season! I had the air conditioning going just yesterday...why does this surprise me every year?


I surprised the kids by driving to Little Caesar's for some cheap pizza. We just had to have something hot to eat. The kids both happily held the hot boxes on their laps during the car ride home and I teased them by saying I really needed to sit on one of the boxes to get warm again, but that would have been a waste of $5.

P.S. I'm not helping coach Landon's team this season because he got a coach who is used to working with the same assistant coach each time and didn't really need me. She was nice enough about it and would take my help (hence my participation at the first practice) but since they don't really need me I'm happy to watch from seat on the sidelines. It's kind of nice to be able to drop him off at practices and to just show up and enjoy the games.

**When was the last time you froze your nards off?
Do you have any homeless looking family members?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm having a hard time recovering from being so cold. This is such an unusual sensation for me since I'm always overheated that it feels like my body is in revolt.

Sunday Thoughts

Today was such a fabulous Sunday, I am so glad I didn't let myself stay home today even though I had wicked cramps and a headache this morning. I just took some Excedrin and hoped for the best.


We got to church5 minutes later than usual, so that meant we were only 10 minutes early for the meeting and weren't able to get a soft seat! We were on the first row of fold-out chairs in the back so we ended up having an entirely different view of things than we usually get when we sit on the 5th row on the left (it's funny how everyone sits in almost the same place each week isn't it?).


I was weepy within the first five minutes of the meeting as I watched cute, little families coming in. There were darling sisters dressed alike, mom's carrying huge bags full of things to keep their kids entertained, boys in new suits (one even forgot to snip the thread that held the back flap of the suit together), dads in suits and ties, young women with their hair just-so, teachers with extra bags of things for their lessons, and old men with their arms around their wives. It just did me in. I was going through tissues like crazy, and my family just looked at me with complete confusion. Whitney kept saying, "Why are you crying?" and I didn't have a reason that I could really explain to her.

Almost all the youth (ages 12-18) were sitting up on the stand, there were 20 young men and 12 young women. I wished so badly I could take a picture of them all together up there, because they made such a wonderful sight. Several of them gave talks and then they all sang together. I felt the Spirit so strongly that I thought I was going to burst or run up to the microphone and start pouring out my soul. (What the?)

{A self-portrait I took in the hall during primary.
My mascara was all cried off.}

So after church when I was trying to choose a spiritual thought to give at a Stewardship Meeting I had to go to I knew I'd found the right one when I found this.


This thought expresses feelings I wouldn't have known how to articulate. When I am at church I feel love. I love the other people there, I love the good things they are doing, I love the truth being taught, I love feeling my testimony grow, I love it that my children get to go there each week, and I love being able to serve the primary kids through my calling in the primary presidency. I love, love, love those kids!

{Our junior primary--ages 3-7)

I find that I don't ever want to miss church because I want to have these feelings and I want to be with the kids. When it's not my week to do Sharing Time I help make sure things run smoothly in primary and I move around sitting with different kids when they're not being very reverent. They often end up sitting on my lap, holding my hand or leaning into me the way kids naturally do. It's beyond sweet and makes me want to pick them up and say "I'm so glad you're here, I love you!"

Good grief, what's come over me? If there was any doubt about me incorporating the LOVE into my life over these past two years I think I've knocked it out. I'm officially a smitten, oozing, cry baby, boob.

**Did you have a good day at church
Do you tend to sit in the same place each week?
Do you get weepy there?
What makes you feel full of love?**